Nothing can fully prepare you for the day you receive a medical diagnosis for your child. I still remember ours as if it were yesterday. I was sitting in a room, excited to see my baby on the ultrasound screen, when the sonographer left the room to get the Medical Director of the SSM Health St. Louis Fetal Care Institute to come in and look at our scan, I felt a pang of fear.
Read MoreAs your kids get older and their problems become more complex, you have to transition into more of a supporting role, and that can be difficult. This is especially true with teens who are struggling with depression. Depressed teens often experience significant emotional and sometimes physical pain, but may not know what to do to make it better or find the help that they need. Parents are usually in the best position to take charge in getting initial help for a depressed teen.
Read MoreParenting can be challenging and stressful, especially when faced with a child, teen or young adult with emotional difficulties. In these instances, many parents will feel uncertain about how to most effectively handle their child’s behavior. Understandably, parents will often find themselves experiencing a range of emotions including, anxiety, stress, frustration, guilt, and sadness. A consultation can help parents feel emotionally supported while they learn new strategies for better communication, cooperation, and connection with their children.
Read MoreWhen one child in a family unit has special needs (emotional, behavioral, developmental, physical, or illness related) it affects the entire family, particularly siblings. It is very easy and understandable for parents to become consumed with getting the child that displays the more critical difficulties the help that they need, unfortunately, this sometimes comes at the cost of the health and well-being of other children in the family. Disaster management and pure survival tactics dictate that the individual who is causing the most disruption, the high level of disturbance in the family unit, and needs the highest degree of care would consume the most mental and emotional energy from the parents. However, this can unintentionally leave other children in the family vulnerable to significant stress, anxiety, and pressure within the family system. When one child is experiencing a crisis, the other children MUST be supported and monitored too.
Read MoreWorry work or carrying the emotional load... both terms describe a constant, thrumming, low-level anxiety over the health and well-being of your children, and according to researchers, women tend to do more of the worry work than men do. It’s an endless list of organizational tasks that runs through your head like ticker tape: we’re out of milk, when do we need to apply for preschool, is the baby outgrowing her onesies, can't forget to schedule that doctor's appointment, are the kid's lunches packed for tomorrow...
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